The difficult thing about blogging is choosing what to write about and what not to write about, since there’s only so much one can blog about. Because of this, in each post, I will write one somewhat detailed description of an event or place, then will have a “scribble” section with quasi-notes about things that were still significant (or just plain humorous,) and so if I feel it necessary, I can blog about it at a later time…Yes! On with the show…..i mean, er… blog…shog?
My hostel, KsHouse, relative to Shibuya, Southwest of my hostel
So Cally and I went to Shibuya last night (Sunday.) Shibuya is easily recognizable, at least by night, by its bright lights, overpopulation, and constant colliding into people. Yes, people collisions. I felt like I needed walking insurance! First, if you didn’t know this already, Tokyo is one of the densest cities in the world. Secondly, I think it’s safe to say, at least for the residents of Tokyo, that the Japanese love lights and technology. Thirdly, there are not just vertical and horizontal crosswalks, but also diagonal crosswalks. Fourthly, the bicyclists ride on the sidewalks; no, they don’t walk their bikes either: they ride them, sometimes, at near-Lance Armstrong speeds! They inevitably get so close to you, that their coats brush up against you. Despite these facts, I haven’t been hit yet. They’re very skilled at giving you a heart-attack, but equally skilled at weaving through people without collision. This would definitely be an accomplishment in some less populated place like Chicago, but to successfully do this in Tokyo: you have to be a Grand Master…Most of the collisions occur from pedestrian-to-pedestrian.
Shibuya was quite exciting, though. It contains what’s considered to be the busiest intersection in the world. This is exemplified in the video I took last night, below.
Shibuya is considered the hotspot for the japanese youth, as there’s all types of shopping, places to eat, anime stores, love hotels…it pretty much has it all, including part of the kitchen sink.
I’m not a shopping aficionado by any means, but I must say that seeing the stores in Tokyo is a unique experience, and proceeding into the stores and walking around is an even more intense experience. There’re employees of every assortment standing everywhere. Of course you have your salesman who are happy to assist you in emptying your wallet, but there also employees who just stand in a single place with a microphone rapidly-firing Japanese (about what, I’m not exactly sure, because I don’t understand most of it at this point…) In fact, *cookie* started to play with a laptop, and within one second, an employee started to recite what seemed like a 1000 page (per-chapter) novel, at a rate of 1000 pages per 7 minutes. *cookie* was already captured, so there was nothing I could do for her, but there was still time for me. I quickly relocated my 10-4, and viewed the battle from a distance. 5 minutes (714 pages) later, I decided to go on a rescue mission and save Cally. I fired a quick “sumimasen” (excuse me) and got her out. Success! Most stores seem to be like this, especially in the technology assortment… So the shopping experience is quite intense, but at the same time, I respect the fact that they all put so much effort toward the jobs and give you attention. This applies not only in department stores and mid-size stores, but small stores, and even booths set up on the streets. Walking through Ueno Park the other day, I noticed an old lady working behind a small food cart. As she greeted and served the curious customers, I couldn’t help but recognize the smile on her face as she served the people. She genuinely seemed to enjoy her job, despite the fact that it just a small 6 foot food cart-on-wheels set up in a park. I was greatly moved by this, as it reminded me that interacting with people is where I receive the most contentment in life. This is one of the qualities I enjoy most about Japan. Even in such a highly populated
and fast-paced area as Tokyo, I still witness, at least to my eyes, social harmony. I’ve read that the Japanese place strong emphasis on this. Please don’t misunderstand me; I really enjoy Americans in general, I think there’s a great sincerity in the way we function in our social lives. However, I think the Japanese have something very special to offer, too. The emphasis seems to be more on working as a group rather than the individual. In the parks, you tend to see many groups of friends doing various activities, such as playing guitars together, juggling soccer balls, and, of course, the Japanese Elvis groups in Yoyogi 
I think this is a beautiful aspect of human nature that we should focus on facilitating more.
I’d like to write more on Shibuya, Harajuku, and Shinjuku…Another entry tonight. For now, we must explore more of Tokyo, since this is our last full day here: we leave for Kyoto tomorrow. さようなら！
*scribbles*
7 year old singing songs and playing guitar in Yoyogi – very inspiring
what do you do with an egg in a bowl?
getting over intimidation of language barrier
clean, inhabitable allies
pachinko
sinks that have one faucet for soap-dispensing, the other for water
australian lingo – “shredders” – kids/people who “tear it up”
japanese fascination with the old in a city that is known for focusing on new
distractions?
bathroom hallways at japanese airport
japanese denny’s – button to call waiter
japanese words heard all the time – sou desu ne. sou desu. hai hai hai hai hai. sugoi, sugoi!!
love hotels on side streets
wendies, subway, starbucks, kentucky fried chicken, mcdonalds,
. Senso-Ji is Tokyo’s oldest temple, constructed in 645 AD for Kannon, the Boddhisatva of Compassion. When you first enter the Torii (gate to the temple,) you pass through the gauntlet of stores selling all sorts of goods from crackers to swords.
Elementary Japanese has been the primary text I’ve been using to study the language. I’ve looked at a couple other texts before, and this has been the most superior in my opinion (I think I may have even converted a professor at DePaul University to use this book for her classes..) The format is excellent! Each chapter begins with a cartoon-box-style dialogue that introduce grammar and vocabulary to be covered in the rest of the chapter. You can listen to these dialogues and more on the accompanying CD. The dialog is then provided in a line-by-line format, translated into English, and then you are provided with special remarks, such as exceptions to what you’ve been taught previously, etc. The chapter continues by covering the grammar used in the dialog, as well as provides small examples of each individual grammar point. After the grammar is covered, various exercises and quizzes are provided to use either with yourself, or with another. The end of each chapter provides the vocabulary learned. 
I haven’t used this text in great length, yet, but I’ve gone through the first 2 chapters. The great thing about the book is its practicality. It provides you 250 of the most common kanji (Japanese symbols representing a complete object or idea) used in Japan, and does so in a concise manner. As the title says, the book provides examples for situations that you would encounter in a typical week living in Japan, such as eating out, shopping, going to the post office, etc. The format is simple. The first page of a chapter shows a photographic taken in Japan (for example, the first chapter shows a photo of food for sale at a store.) The next section translates the meaning of the each set of kanji shown in the picture. Then, each kanji is displayed singly and the various meanings of the kanji are provided, as well as the strokes involved in writing the kanji. That’s pretty much it to this one~ It’s very practical, and the real-life photos make this an exciting way to learn kanji. 
